Amir Hamza, a retired Pakistan Army brigadier known for his significant role within the ISI, was fatally shot by unidentified gunmen in Punjab, Pakistan, late on June 17. Hamza had been identified by counter-terrorism agencies as a key figure involved in ISI-led operations against India, notably linked to orchestrating the 2018 attack on the Sunjwan Army camp in Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in six soldiers killed and over a dozen injured.
This incident marks the second elimination of a Pakistani operative connected to the Sunjwan attack; in November, LeT commander Khwaja Shahid, suspected to be another mastermind, was found beheaded near the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK).
Hamza’s wife and daughter, who were accompanying him in the car, sustained injuries during the attack. They reported to the police that the assailants did not attempt robbery.
Authorities in Pakistan described the killing as targeted, occurring in Jhelum district, Punjab. Hamza’s vehicle was ambushed by four assailants on motorcycles at the Lilla interchange in Jhelum.
According to local reports, the gunmen opened fire indiscriminately from both sides of the car, ensuring Hamza’s demise before fleeing.
Hamza’s brother Ayub, who was riding a motorcycle following his brother’s car, witnessed the attack and is now under police scrutiny. Emergency services confirmed Hamza’s death at the scene and began investigating the incident as a targeted assassination.
Pakistani media reported that Hamza had held high-ranking positions throughout his military career, culminating as director-general of the Emergency Services Academy (1122).
This killing is part of a series of targeted assassinations of Pakistanis associated with ISI-sponsored terrorist activities in India. Earlier incidents include the killing of Amir Sarfaraz, a prominent ISI operative, in Lahore in April, and the assassination of Adnan Ahmed, alias Abu Hanzala, a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba commander responsible for multiple attacks on security convoys in Kashmir, in Karachi in December.
Additionally, Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist Shahid Latif, involved in the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack, was gunned down in Sialkot in October. These killings highlight ongoing internal security challenges within Pakistan related to terrorism and state-sponsored operations against neighbouring countries.
